Space for Rent
by jremme
Summary: Just a little one shot about how Zach ended up living above Hodgins' garage. I miss the interaction between those two! Takes place pre-pilot at the end of Zach's first week at the Jeffersonian.


**A/N: Ok, I was all set to finish up 'Puppy Love' today since I had a bit of free time, but was bitten by the writer's block bug. So, I decided to type up this little one shot that's been floating through my head for the past few days. Seeing Zach in last week's eppy reminded me of how much I miss the guy which is what prompted this little flashback fic. It takes place before the pilot, and explains how Zach ended up living above Hodgins' garage.**

**Space for Rent**

On the last day of his first week at the Jeffersonian, Zach Addy was late. He stumbled through the front doors of the building, adjusting his clothes and nearly tripping over an untied shoelace that was dragging across the floor. The built in alarm clock in his apartment had broken and his landlord had promised to fix it and give him a wake-up call that morning.

His blind trust had resulted in him being over an hour and a half late. Dr. Brennan looked up from the skeleton she was examining at the sound of a thump. Her new assistant was sprawled face down on the ground, having failed to avoid tripping over his shoelace a second time. Dr. Hodgins looked up as well, his face showing more sympathy than Dr. Brennan's.

"You're late Mr. Addy," Brennan commented evenly before returning her gaze to her work.

Zach righted himself and took the time to bend down to tie his shoe. "Yes, Dr. Brennan and I apologize. It won't happen again."

Brennan nodded absently at his assurance, and directed Zach's work once he'd joined her on the platform. Hodgins observed him from his station. It wasn't like the kid to be late. In fact, until today, he'd been early. He still looked flustered, as though afraid that Brennan's wrath was only delayed.

Hodgins shook his head and returned to his microscope. He'd have to make more of an effort with Zach. He clearly didn't feel at ease at the Jeffersonian yet. He probably wouldn't feel comfortable getting too close with either Brennan or Angela, and Goodman certainly wasn't the type to make friends with grad students, so that left Hodgins. The guy needed a friend.

At the end of the day Zach was gathering his things and shrugging on his jacket when Hodgins appeared beside him without announcing himself and placed a hand on his shoulder. The young man jumped out of his skin. "Dr. Hodgins! I wasn't aware of your presence."

"Clearly. Hey, I was thinking you could use some time to unwind. You know, celebrate the end of your first week here. Want to go grab a beer?"

"I don't drink, but thank you for the invitation all the same. I think I'll just catch the bus back to my apartment." He turned to leave, but Hodgins tightened his grip on his shoulder.

"Well, I want a drink, so I'll need someone to drive. Come with me anyway."

Zach looked down at his feet briefly. The fact he was about to divulge always put people off, if they weren't put off by him already. He prepared himself for the 'what a freak' look.

"I don't drive. I don't have a license."

Hodgins eyed him. The guy was weird, but a colleague. He nodded. "Oh. Well, maybe we can just go to the bar, and not drink."

Zach wasn't sure how to reply to that. Part of him was eager to make a friend, to have some sort of a contact in the unfamiliar city, while the other part wanted to run the other way. Well, maybe not run; running was a waste of energy in a situation like this. "That would be all right," he ended up saying, and the two left the building together.

They sat at a booth in the bar, facing each other. Hodgins had a glass of iced tea in his hand and Zach's glass of water sat on the table, a ring forming around the table underneath it. There was total silence, the music from the jukebox floating through their ears.

"Where are you from anyway?" Hodgins asked, curious what part of the country had produced an individual as…well, unique as Zach Addy.

"I'm from Michigan," came the reply.

Hodgins nodded. "Nice place."

"You've been there?"

"Yea, Detroit and Ann Arbor."

"I see. Dr. Hodgins, I appreciate your efforts to get to know me and befriend me, but I'm afraid I'm not really much of a people person."

"Neither am I. But, if you're gonna work under Dr. Brennan, then you'd better be comfortable around us. We're a team, and if you can't fit in with us, then…maybe you need to explore other options." He regretted saying it, but it was true. None of them would bite, and Zach had to come out of his shell a little bit.

The young man across from him took a sip of water and laid his glass back down carefully in the exact same spot, using the water ring as a reference point. He thought; his eyes narrowing as he did so. "Perhaps you're right Dr. Hodgins. I apologize. You're making the effort; I should as well."

"That's the spirit! So, tell me about your family."

At the end of a couple hours' conversation, Hodgins noticed a slight change in Zach. He seemed more comfortable, talking at length about his parents and many siblings, even cracking a grin now and again at a memory that pushed itself to the forefront of his mind. Then, glancing at his watch, he said, "Thank you Dr. Hodgins, but it's getting late. The bus comes back in fifteen minutes."

"I'll drive you home. Where you livin'?"

"Oh, no, that's all right. You don't need to bother."

"It's no trouble Zach, now come on." Hodgins led the way out to his car, and listened as Zach gave him instructions from the passenger seat, his concern growing with each turn they made. They were heading into a bad part of town and when Zach told him to stop in front of a dingy looking apartment complex, Hodgins shook his head. No way.

"You live here?" he asked.

"Yes. I didn't have many options."

"Yea, I get that, but…" Hodgins trailed off, taking in the dimly lit building with a shake of his head. It was unsafe, of that he was sure of. His mind made up, he locked the car doors as Zach was reaching for the handle to let himself out. "You're not staying here."

"Yes, I am Dr. Hodgins. That's why we've stopped here. Besides, it's not that bad." He hoped his landlord had remembered to fix the clock.

"No, Zach, I mean you're _not_ staying here. Look, I have some space above my garage. It's not much, but it's better than here, and you won't have to take the bus to work anymore."

Zach blinked. "You're offering me a place to live?"

"I am."

"I don't want to intrude. Surely, you have something else in mind for that space."

Hodgins grinned. Zach had no idea how much spare room he actually had. "Trust me, it's going to waste. It's probably the same square footage as what you have now; well, maybe more."

Zach considered. "How much?"

"How much what?"

"How much do you want for rent money Dr. Hodgins?"

"It's just Hodgins. And you don't need to pay me any rent."

Zach's brows knit, his teeth biting his lower lip. "I have to pay you some kind of rent."

Hodgins sighed. "Since you insist, whatever you can give me is fine."

The young man's hand dug into his pocket and he pulled out several bills and placed them on the seat next to Hodgins. He picked them up. A ten, a five, and three ones. "Ok, that'll work," he said with a grin. Zach grinned back and unlocked the door manually.

"Where are you going? I thought we had an agreement."

"We do; I just wanted to get packed. I still have all my boxes from my previous move."

Hodgins climbed out of the car after him. "I'll help you." He locked his car up and followed Zach into the darkened building.

They packed up Zach's life and transported it to the backseat of Hodgins' car. Then they began the journey to the other side of the city.

"I've never been in this part of the city before," Zach commented as they drove.

"Well, get used to it. It's your neighborhood now," Hodgins replied, signaling to turn into the drive that led up to his home.

Zach's eyes grew large at the size of the estate, but he didn't comment. They pulled to a stop inside the garage, and each picked up a box from the back. Hodgins led Zach up a flight of stairs and opened a door with a key, which he then handed to Zach. "There. That's yours. I have a spare in the house.

He picked up the box again which he'd sat at his feet and stepped across the threshold, Zach following. Hodgins put his box down and turned back to Zach, expecting some sort of vocal reaction. He received none. Zach was speechless, glancing about the fully furnished living room and over into the kitchen. This was bigger than his apartment. And it was all his.

After they'd brought all the boxes up, Hodgins stepped back towards the door. "I'll just leave you to get settled. I leave for work at a quarter after seven, so make sure you're ready by then, ok?"

Zach nodded. He still hadn't said a word. Hodgins was just about to close the door behind him when Zach's voice called him back. "Hodgins?"

"Yea, Zach?"

"Thank you," came the most sincere words Hodgins had ever heard.

"You're welcome Zach. Good night." He turned and headed back down the stairs, leaving the young man to unpack and get a feel for his new surroundings.

Zach only got as far as unpacking a few boxes before he began to feel fatigue creeping over his body. He wandered through a door to find a bed, already made with sheets and blankets. It looked really comfortable, but Zach only had eyes for the nightstand. In the center of it stood a small digital alarm clock; fully functional. Zach felt a small smile come to his face. He'd never be late again.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed that. I always enjoyed Zach and Hodgins' friendship. Hopefully, I'll have the last chapter of 'Puppy Love' up in a couple of days. Thanks for reading!**


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